Fade To Black
by Kriftonucci
Summary: Sequel To 'Swing' by ShellyG. After Eddy's suicide, Double D believes no one can comfort him enough to make him feel better. His roommate, however, wants to prove him wrong.


Fade To Black

By Dead Promises

Song By Metallica

**Here's the sequel done with permission from a story by ShellyG called "Swing". If you want to understand this, go to her account and read the story (I'm sure it's better than this sequel). And also, I don't own Ed Edd and Eddy, Danny Antonucci does. And I did not write "Fade To Black", Metallica did and released the song on their album "Ride The Lightning." Enjoy.**

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Nighttime.

Double D could always take this time during this occasion to reflect back at what the day has been like for him now that he was alone, and besides the fact, in college.

Especially since his roommate, Jim, was already asleep unlike the limited instances he'd arrive at his and Double D's dormitory two hours late due to last minute works or becoming lost when he forgot his map.

But as Double D lied there on his poorly done bed for minutes since his accustomed curfew went underway, it became quite clear to him he was not going to concentrate anymore.

Only since two days ago, when he and Ed had discovered what had happened to Eddy.

Not when everybody found out, but when Double D obtained the message from Eddy himself on the very last email he sent him before he died:

"_Dear Double D. _

_How's it going? Long time no talk, huh?_

_How have you been?_

_Hopefully, you've been better than I have these passed months._

_I really don't know how to explain it to you, but I will try._

_Ever since you went to college and Ed became a semi-person_

_semi-alien I can no longer talk to, things have not gone on_

_the same way they have since we were twelve or eleven._

_My Dad has been complaining too much about my shitty GPA _

_whatchamajig. Says he'll send me to a private school if I don't _

_improve. He never understands. I mean, I try sometimes, and I _

_even try to believe that I'm doing whatever work they give us in_

_The correct format, correct method, yada yada._

_It just doesn't work either way, do you catch my drift?_

**Live it seems, will fade away  
Drifting further every day  
Getting lost within myself  
Nothing matters no one else**

_Hours of tutoring, extra credit, I'm trying as hard as I know unlike_

_my parents can, and it just doesn't work, like I said._

_I understand you always told me you'd be more than happy to help._

_But I can't always depend on someone to give me the answers._

_It's either work hard like a pro, or don't work at all and just go._

_I'm obviously not a pro, and I never will be._

_I'm sorry to tell you this Double D, but I don't think I'll ever improve._

_It's like Trent Reznor said: Every Day Is Exactly The Same._

_I know it's un ethical or whatever you call it to take advice from_

_Rock groups, but wouldn't it be more WRONG for them to give out_

_Points like those to begin with? _

_The bottom line is, I'm sorry if you always thought of me as someone who_

_only sought "self gratification" in his life._

_I really tried to change my image at times, but_

_it just never came for me in life._

**I have lost the will to live  
Simply nothing more to give  
There is nothing more for me  
Need the end to set me free**

_Just to finish this, I guess it's only fair to say that even though I was _

_Never a true friend with you, you were always a true friend with me._

_in other words, I doubt you'll miss me once I finally end my_

_Life for everyone's, even my parent's indulgence._

_But I just wanted to let you know in the most formal (and_

_brotherly way, of course), that you were always a very knowledgeable person, _

_Perhaps even a REAL brother to me, unlike the one I knew but never_

_Told me what I'm about to tell you._

_After all the moments we've shared in our short childhood,_

_good and bad ones, you were always a good friend, and I'm going to say that_

_I love you, and goodbye._

_Eddy_"

And to think deleting the message never helped even in the least.

Every time he thought about that when he remember some of the elements Eddy was referring to as being brought up by him to begin with, he came to speak out loud:

"Maybe it's all my fault"

Being someone who had to study each day through his college averages and could never be sure if he understood Eddy's pain, speculation struck him each day since the funeral.

Only this time, Jim seemed to notice as he woke up, and looked directly at his power rangers alarm clock to see it was only one in the morning, and Double D was still sitting on his bed when he'd much prefer it to see him lying on it.__

**Things not what they used to be  
Missing one inside of me  
Deathly lost, this Can't be real  
Cannot stand this hell I feel**

"Wow, Double D. aren't you sleepy?" Jim asked solicitously in spite of feeling very tense from having to wake up while enjoying his sleep.

"No. How could it be possible? Eddy's gone and all I have to replace is guilt. Yet he still called me a true friend." Double D retaliated, nearly on the verge of crying.

**Emptiness is filling me  
To the point of agony  
Growing darkness taking dawn  
I was me, but now he's gone**

"Sigh, it's still about your friends suicide, huh?" Jim asked, as he slowly got out of bed, then turned on the lamp.

"I…d…don't want to…p…please don't c..c…call it that" Double D stuttered as he covered his face in from a failed attempt to remain strong and thus hiding tears that were beginning to run down.

Jim, only knowing Double D for five months didn't know what to do, or how exactly to comfort him.

Yet he could try, even if it meant leading to a personal conversation.

"Double D, I know you're not at the most I'll assume hopeful now, but you can't take it as a scar that won't heal. You have to move on" Jim began as he came and sat next to Double D's side.

As Double D obtained a tissue from the Kleenex box in his drawer and cleaned his eyes out, he replied to Jim.

"B…but (sniff), how would you comprehend what it's like to lose someone you-"

"Because I do! Every now and then!" Jim interrupted as he was about to explain something to Double D that from which simply looking at his face, it was without a doubt going to be a bit derogatory.

"I don't ever tell this to everyone, but you're not like everyone as I'm seeing now. Six years ago, when I was only thirteen, my little sister, Caitlin, was kidnapped"

Double D stroke a surprised glare at first, yet asked "Really?"

Jim sighed for a second.

"Do you want to come over to my mother's house and ask her? I was supposed to watch over her while my mother went off to buy some shoes at the mall. With out any luck, I had to go to my friend's house to finish a project for a class I had. I trusted Caitlin to be able to stay on her own, although she was only ten years old. When my Father came back from work, however, he didn't just tell me that Caitlin wasn't there, but I that had left the door open. I didn't know what to do with myself since that day. I mean, my parents treated me like an outcast when they knew I was supposed to supervise her, I was forced to live with my asshole of a grandma in Montana. And since then, I've tried to live through my life by leaving it to be nothing but a reminder of the worst mistake not only I would do, but any kid who would have been retarded enough to do that. I was able to live my life and leave the past behind. "

Double D looked at Jim.

In his life, he had never heard anyone near his age talk with as much confidence and nerve like Jim.

"I never knew" Double D almost whispered, unaware if Jim heard him otherwise.

"But the question here is, are you? At least for now?" Jim finished.

_  
_**No one but me can save myself, but it's too late  
No, I can't think, think why I should even try  
Yesterday seems as though it never existed  
Death Greets me warm, now I will just say goodbye**

Double D did not know how to answer.

Times like these that involved mixing honesty with determination made it hard for Double D to reply.

Especially since it dealt with an issue as serious as the one he was in as of that minute.

In spite of making it hard for himself, Double D realized that Jim was a great person and had done more than to just help him that night.

Plus, he could see that although he strongly cared for Double D's sentiments, as of that moment, he also wanted to care about being able to sleep.

There it was when inspiration hit Double D.

Not only to reply to Jim with much more simplicity than he could, yet to attempt at least to accept what fate had already given him, and try to slowly mend through time.

"Yes Jim, I will" Double D replied.

"Good, now if you don't mind, I'd really like to sleep now. Night!" Said Jim as he walked back to his bed, turned the light off, and tucked in.

From there, Double D was a bit doubtful if he was able to do what Jim had told him.

But as he tucked himself back inside the covers, he knew immediately, like Jim had solicited, time would heal all.

From there, Double D tried not to think about the friend who could have become the best friend he would have known despite his immature antics, and closed his eyes.

From there and remaining, everything in Double D's view immediately fades to black.

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**So that's it. The part where Eddy mentions "self gratification" was actually mentioned in the episode "Don't Rain On My Ed" (I researched, sue me). Anyways, I hope ShellyG likes this, and if not, sorry for not putting as much effort as I should have. I just wanted to keep this as short as possible without obsessing over details.**


End file.
